Long ago, in an age where the gods still walked among mortals and the threads of fate were woven into the very fabric of the world, there existed a sacred gateway known only to the chosen few. This gateway was not made of stone or metal, nor did it stand in any temple built by human hands. It was said to reside in the misty, shifting boundaries between worlds—where time and space folded upon themselves, where past, present, and future were but dreams in the eyes of the cosmos.
The gateway, later known to some as SCP-699, was not of this Earth. Legends spoke of it as the "Gate of Futures"—a portal gifted to the mortal realm by ancient gods who sought to test humanity's wisdom and strength. It was said that the gods, curious and indifferent to mortal lives, placed this portal in the care of an immortal guardian, a being neither god nor man, tasked with ensuring only the most worthy souls could pass through.
For generations, this gate was hidden in the heart of the world, beneath mountains older than memory, encased in a labyrinth of ever-shifting shadows. Many brave and foolish souls set out to find the gate, believing that it held the answers to the deepest mysteries of existence. Some sought wealth, others power, and still others—those who knew the true nature of the gate—hoped to glimpse their own futures and change the course of their destinies. None returned.
It was said that the gate was both a gift and a curse. Those who found it would stand before a shimmering veil of light, a vision of their possible futures flickering like flames within its depths. But the truth of these futures was not so simple. They were not fixed destinies, nor were they paths that could be easily changed. Instead, the gate revealed to each soul the future most likely to occur if they remained true to the choices and desires of their hearts.
But here lay the tragedy: the gate did not show only one future. It showed many—endless possibilities stretching out before each soul like rivers branching and twisting into the unknown. And within each future, the seeker would see both their greatest triumphs and their darkest failures. They would see moments of joy so profound they would weep, and moments of sorrow so deep they could hardly bear it. Some would see themselves as kings or queens, ruling vast empires, while others would see themselves as beggars, lost in the streets of ruined cities.
It is said that many who gazed upon the Gate of Futures were driven mad by the sheer weight of their potential fates. Unable to accept the burden of knowledge, they would turn away in despair, their minds shattered by the infinite paths before them. Others, too prideful or too fearful, would attempt to change their futures, thinking they could outwit fate itself. But the gate had its own will, for it was no mere door—it was a living thing, a conscious force that guarded the secrets of time.
The myths tell of one mortal, a prince named Theron, who sought out the gate to save his kingdom from destruction. The seers had told him that his land would fall to a great darkness, and his people would suffer unless he could find a way to avert the disaster. Desperate, he journeyed for many years, through mountains and deserts, battling beasts and enduring trials set by the gods themselves, until at last he found the Gate of Futures.
Standing before the shimmering portal, Theron saw countless visions of what might be. In some, he saw himself as a wise and just king, his people flourishing under his rule. In others, he saw his kingdom reduced to ash, consumed by famine, war, and death. But the most terrible vision was of himself as a tyrant, a ruler who, in his desperation to save his people, became the very darkness he sought to fight. In that future, his name was cursed, and his people feared him more than the destruction he had tried to prevent.
For days, Theron stood before the gate, unable to choose a path. The knowledge of what could be weighed upon him like a mountain, and his heart grew heavy with doubt. Could he truly save his kingdom, or would his attempts to change fate only bring about greater suffering? In the end, he realized the truth: the gate showed only what might be, not what would be. His choices, his actions in the present, were what shaped the future. And so, with a heavy heart, Theron turned away from the gate, choosing to face his destiny without seeking to control it.
Legend says that Theron returned to his kingdom a changed man. He ruled with wisdom and humility, accepting that some things were beyond his control. His kingdom did not fall to the darkness, though it faced many trials. Theron became known as the King of Shadows, for he had stood before the Gate of Futures and glimpsed the many shadows of his fate.
But the Gate of Futures, SCP-699, remains. It waits, hidden in the folds of time and space, for the next soul brave—or foolish—enough to seek it. Some say that only the pure of heart can pass through and remain unscathed, while others believe that even the wisest souls will be tested to their limits. And so, the myth endures, a warning and a promise to those who would try to know the unknowable.
For in the end, the gate shows not the future itself, but the weight of what the future could be—both the glory and the ruin that lies within the heart of every mortal soul.